A devotional writing by Chris Lousias who has a great love for her Creator and doesn't hesitate to share that love with others. She has a flair for writing and for teaching. I always enjoy it when readers pass along some thngs which they have written:
Fair Weather Fans
John 6:66: "From this time on His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."
People are funny in a way. As long as something is popular, as long as our team is winning, as long as there is a “feel good” atmosphere, we are all for it. As soon as the tide turns or if we are asked to participate to a point where there will be sacrifice on our part, our loyalties start to drift. Put it in the perspective of a war. If there is a perception of victory, people will support it. If there is a perception of failure, they will bail. It’s just the way it seems to flow.
In the Book of John, we see Jesus working signs and wonders. People start noticing and the crowds get bigger and bigger. It starts out with a simple water into wine gig at a wedding. Then there’s that rebellious perception of Him clearing the Temple. Can you imagine what the people were thinking? “Wow, this Guy has audacity! Wish I had the guts to do that.” You’ve got Samaritans flocking to Him, you have healings right and left, and then there’s this little incident with some fish and bread. This Guy is UNBELIEVABLE. The crowds get huge and almost uncontrollable. They want to be around this guy, they are hanging on to His every Word. Then Jesus does the public relations faux pas: He starts to speak the Truth. He starts to tell the crowds the skinny on who He is and what they need to do to have eternal life. The crowd starts hemming and hawing, ummm, well, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (John 6:28)
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29) John 6:66, "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him." And so, very quickly the ministry went from majority to minority status.
How many times when things are going well for us do we feel we are on top of the world and God is great and the sky is perpetually blue and isn’t life just grand? How different is it when life gets down and dirty and we grumble and maybe even blame God for our circumstances? We ask ourselves “if God is so good, why is He allowing us to go through yet another hardship?”
How’s your faith meter? Do you only want Jesus Christ for the benefits He is able to give – for His signs and wonders - Check your faith. Go to the Word. It is through the teaching of the Word of God that we “see” God and receive the faith to come to Christ and trust Him. You will see a pattern in the Word of God that pertains to life today. You will see that Jesus, the Father and Holy Spirit are fans of ours even in the most mired down times in our lives.
He never turns us away and never says, "I've had enough of you." We will never be condemned, disvalued or demeaned by Him. He loves us when we are bad and when we are good, and when we sing songs of praise. He loves us, forgives us, accepts us and walks with us when nobody else will. God isn’t wishy-washy when it comes to His love for us; should we treat Him in any way less than that especially when the end result is Eternal Life? Don’t blame Him, Don’t deny Him…Trust in Him.
Merciful and Gracious God, Your love for us is unfailing. Your love for us is never hidden. Holy Spirit, we ask for the Life that only You can give so that we may perpetuate the growth of Your Kingdom. We ask for increased faith so that we too may believe and know that Jesus is without a doubt, the Holy One of God. We want to be unwavering believers with nowhere else to go but to the foot of Your Throne. We pray this in the blessed and almighty name of the Living Bread that came down from Heaven, Jesus Christ, Amen.